Caitlin Murphy
About Caitlin Murphy
Independent director at Plymouth Industrial REIT since April 2021; age 38. Founder and CEO of Global Gateway Logistics, a freight forwarding/NVOCC firm, with 12+ years’ logistics experience; appointed to the Missouri Supply Chain Task Force (2022) and the Missouri District Export Council (2024). Education: BSBA in International Business (University of Missouri); attended Peking University. Board roles: Chair, Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; Chair, Sustainability Committee; determined independent under NYSE rules.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Gateway Logistics (private) | Founder & CEO | 2017–present | Leads maritime/air/ground freight solutions; advises on international supply chains and warehousing |
| Missouri Supply Chain Task Force | Gubernatorial Appointee | 2022–present | State-level supply chain policy engagement |
| Missouri District Export Council | Member | 2024–present | Commerce Dept.-affiliated export advisory role |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Circle Star | Board member | Non-profit | Supports summer camp experiences for children with disabilities |
| Global Gateway Logistics | Founder & CEO | Private company | No PLYM-related party transactions disclosed |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board independence | 6 of 8 directors independent; Murphy is independent |
| Board meetings/attendance | 7 board meetings in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings on which they served |
| Annual meeting attendance | None of the then-serving directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting (policy encourages attendance) |
| Lead Independent Director | David G. Gaw; regular executive sessions of independent directors |
Committee assignments (2024)
| Committee | Role | 2024 Meetings | Key Oversight Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominating & Corporate Governance | Chair | 1 | Board composition, governance guidelines, director evaluations |
| Sustainability | Chair | 1 | ESG oversight including EHS, human rights, social matters |
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | Paid quarterly |
| Chair fee – Nominating & Corporate Governance | $7,500 | Annual cash retainer for committee chair |
| 2024 total reported (Murphy) | $127,495 | Sum of cash, equity grant, and chair fee per proxy table |
| Equity grant (annual) | $60,000 | RS; denominated in dollars, whole shares; vests at next annual meeting or first anniversary, whichever earlier, subject to service |
Performance Compensation (Director)
- Non-employee directors do not receive performance-conditioned bonuses or options; equity is time-based restricted stock that vests by the next annual meeting or first anniversary. No option awards outstanding for non-employee directors as of 12/31/24.
| Equity Element | Type | Grant Policy | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Equity | Restricted Stock | $60,000 dollar-denominated grant | Earlier of next annual meeting or 1-year from grant, subject to service |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Murphy |
| Compensation Committee interlocks | 2024 Comp Committee members were DeAgazio (Chair), Cottone, Guinee; no interlocks disclosed (Murphy not a member) |
| Related party transactions | None >$120,000 involving directors/officers disclosed for 2024–2025 period, aside from executive agreements |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Logistics, supply chain, and warehousing domain expertise aligned with PLYM’s industrial footprint (Midwest focus articulated in biography) .
- Governance: Chair of N&CG; oversees board composition, governance guidelines, and evaluations per charter .
- Sustainability: Board-level ESG oversight as Sustainability Chair; company has formal climate, environmental impact, green building, and site selection policies .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caitlin Murphy | 9,220 | <1% | As of 4/23/2025 |
| Outstanding stock awards held by each non-employee director | 2,842 | N/A | As of 12/31/2024; no option awards outstanding |
| Hedging/Pledging | Prohibited | — | Anti-hedging and anti-pledging policies apply to directors |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent director with directly relevant logistics/supply chain expertise; chairs two governance-critical committees (N&CG and Sustainability), supporting board effectiveness in oversight of governance practices and ESG strategy .
- Clear independence under NYSE rules; robust board governance profile with independent committee composition and regular executive sessions .
- Director pay structure balanced between cash and time-based equity; equity vests annually, aligning with shareholder interests; anti-hedging/pledging in place .
-
Potential watch items
- Attendance optics: while minimum thresholds were met, no directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting despite a guideline encouraging attendance; this can be a perception risk for investor engagement (board-wide, not specific to Murphy) .
- Ownership alignment: Murphy’s reported beneficial ownership is modest (9,220 shares, <1%); however, directors are expected to retain meaningful share ownership and receive annual equity grants, partially mitigating alignment concerns .
-
Conflicts/Related Parties
- No related party transactions involving Murphy were disclosed; board independence determinations considered relationships and found no impairment of independence .
-
Compensation & Incentives (director-specific)
- 2024 director total for Murphy was $127,495 with $60,000 cash retainer, $7,500 chair fee, and a $60,000 annual RS grant vesting by next annual meeting/first anniversary .
Overall implication: Murphy enhances board breadth in industrial/logistics insight and governance/ESG oversight. The primary governance signal to monitor is annual meeting attendance and continued growth in director share ownership for stronger alignment.